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Colossus : the secrets of Bletchley Park's codebreaking computers
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Colossus : the secrets of Bletchley Park's codebreaking computers

by B. Jack Copeland

A history of Colossus, the world's first electronic digital computer, which was used to crack enemy codes at Bletchley Park during the Second World War. Drawing on declassified documents, it features personal accounts from those who built and operated the machine.

Accession 10947 ISBN 9780192840554 Publisher Oxford University Press
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TAGS
Curated Derived
Communication Computer Science Culture Economics History Institutions Philosophy Science Social Sciences Technology War
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State
on_shelf
True
position_updated_at
2026-06-04 10:33
orientation
vertical
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Physical

binding_type
Hard Back
dimensions
none captured
spine_text
none captured

Metadata

Book form
LOCATION HISTORY
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M:N3:3 3 vertical
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M:N3:4 3 vertical
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Last synced 2026-05-21 00:52 (2 weeks, 6 days ago)

Identity

name→ title
Colossus : the secrets of Bletchley Park's codebreaking computers
vernon_id
14726
accession_no→ accession_number
10947
vernon_slug
colossus-the-secrets-of-bletchley-parks-codebreaking-computers-b-jack-copeland-and-others-edited-by-b-jack-copeland

Drives Pulse state

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On Shelf
location_name
Zone N3/Level 2 (Mezzanine)/Phrontisterion/MONA
location_reason
On Shelf
isbn_issn→ isbn (when valid)
9780192840554

Descriptive

production_date
2006
object_type
Books/Document genres/Information forms/Visual and Verbal Communication
object_status
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brief_description
The American ENIAC is customarily regarded as having been the starting point of electronic computation. This book rewrites the history of computer science, arguing that in reality Colossus--the giant computer built by the British secret service during World War II--predates ENIAC by two years. -- blurb.

Subjects & people

authors→ author (initial fill only)
B. Jack Copeland
tags→ tags
Science, History, Social sciences, Civilisation, Sociology, Communication, Technology, World history, Computer systems, Computers, Electronic digital computers, History, Modern -- 20th century, Computer science, World War, 1939-1945, Signs and symbols, Visual communication, Ciphers [Codes], Cryptography, Bletchley Park (Milton Keynes, England), Parks -- England, Enigma cipher system, Machine ciphers, Colossus (Computer), ENIAC (Computer), Lorenz cipher system [Tunny]
subject_people
—
subject_objects
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Cover image

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